“The first step is
fundraising and
getting sponsors.
You then have to
build a boat and
then you have to
build a team all
while you keep
yourself focused
and in shape.”
—Mike Buckley

All A-Boat It
MAKING WAVES IS SECOND NATURE TO THIS SAILING DUO
WRITTEN BY: ELISE EDWARDS

EXPERT: Mike Buckley and Taylor Canfield
CREDENTIALS: Professional Sailors
Mike Buckley got his
first taste of sailing
as a child growing up
on Cape Cod. “My
mom found some
little crappy boat that
had a little sail. It was
wooden and leaked
and she used to push
me off the beach in
it with a rope tied onto a tree on
shore. I used to go out there until
the thing would half sink and then
come back and try again.”

Sitting in that boat, Buckley could
never have imagined the position
he’d be sitting in today—preparing
alongside partner and fellow
sailing world champion, Taylor
Canfield, to lead an all-American
team to sail in America’s Cup in
2021. Between staying in shape,
fundraising, building a team and
building a boat, it’s an objective
that’s all-consuming.
Buckley and Canfield are currently
knee-deep in the creation process
of a 75-foot race boat that’s as

The Dream Team
• Their dream crew member is Michael Phelps.
They’d love for him to be a grinder and come
sail with them.
Unstoppable
• Buckley cites taking a vet who lost his leg to
sailing as one of the coolest moments of his
life. When they met, he said he wouldn’t be
able to sail without a leg, but he just competed
in his first handicapped sailing event.
A Rocky Start
• Buckley jokes that when he and Canfield first
sailed together 10 years ago, they vowed to
never do it again, but after a few years they
decided to give it another shot.

MIKE BUCKLEY
starsandstripesteamusa.americascup.com
@mikejbuckley

technologically advanced as a
modern-day aircraft and capable
of reaching speeds between 50
and 60 mph. “We toured Virgin
Orbit in Long Beach where they
build rocket ships and there’s a lot
of parallels between what they’re
doing and what we’re doing. Their
craft flies to space while ours flies
above the water, but there are so
many similarities,“ Buckley explains.
As the country watches this
first all-American entry in over
15 years to challenge for the
Cup, it’s impressive to note the
combination of work ethic, attitude
and commitment to social change
that has helped make them an
inspiration to so many. “We have
this incredible platform to inspire
people, to teach kids what the
American dream is and what hard
work can get you. If you have a
dream, it’s not gonna find you on
the couch. You have to go out and
do it. Take risks, work your butt off
and good things usually happen.”